Tai Streets was the number 3 receiver in the 1999 draft, behind only Terrell Owens and Jerry Rice, but he is number 1 to so many young men. Beyond his career with the 49ers and the Lions, Tai has given tirelessly to his AAU basketball team; given his mind, body and spirit, as well as monetary support. After attending Thornton high school he went on to the win the National Championship with the University of Michigan in 1997. But, there is more to this giving man then stats and numbers…here is his PURPOSE!

Deborah Martinez: What is the role that you contribute in giving back to your community, or with anyone? I know you have an AAU team (MeanStreets), you can talk about that.

Tai Streets: The role I play in trying to give back to the community by being a mentor to the kids and I coach. I started in 2001, basically with me and my buddy Carlton. We started off, I gave my own money then and we all gave our time; and it was just a fun thing to help give back to the community and we wanted to coach. We started off saying we’d just do it for one year and see how it goes and it turned in to this; seven (7) years later we are still doing it.

DM: How many kids, in any given year, are involved with your AAU team?
TS: The first year we only had one team, but, then as the years progressed we would have 12 kids per team; one year we had like 5 teams; so we average 60 kids now. We don’t have that many kids this year.

DM: Which athlete was your biggest influence growing up?
TS: Athlete of course, would be Michael Jordan. But, in football it would be Jerry Rice and Walter Payton.

DM: How important is the role of family in your success?
TS: My personal success or my teams?
DM: Well, you can talk about both.
TS: I think family is a huge part; obviously my mom raised me and my dad he was involved as well. My sisters- we are still tight today- they always came to support everything I always did, and I supported everything they did. I think it’s a huge part; without them being there it would have been hard to keep being motivated. When I stress things with AAU, I stress the concept of family- bad, or good, we have to stick together, that’s what families do. Don’t listen to everything that is going on around you, stick to the plan and stick to your family, because you can always rely on your family.

DM: How do you manage to stay out of the negative headlines?
TS: Maybe because I am just a home body. I don’t do anything, I pretty much love sports and love kids- I love going "putt putting" and bowling, I don’t really go ‘clubing’ or anything like that. I guess that keeps me out of the negative headlines; I just go about not doing anything really…(laughs) a little bowling and go back home and play video games.

DM: What do you think is the hardest part about being a professional athlete?
TS: Just what you said...that you can do anything and everything is seen, you live in a fish bowl. Anything you do from your personal life- you are getting a divorce, that’s going to be on the news, or you are going down the street and you hit a cat, or something (laughs)…everything is magnified. I think that’s the toughest thing, you really don’t have any privacy. I know especially with baseball and basketball they really don’t have any privacy. Football, you can get away with more, unless you are the star, like the quarterback or guys who want attention, like T.O and guys like that.

DM: If you could tell all of the first year pros one thing, and they would listen, what would it be?
TS: Don’t spend your money like crazy, be smart. You have to be smart; I didn’t really listen to that- that’s the one thing, they need to take care of their money…get a budget.

DM: When did you first fall in love with football?
TS: I just grew up with it…I loved all sports. I probably watched the Chicago Bears, the ’85 Bears…
DM: Did you do the ‘shuffle?’
TS: (laughs) Yea, I did the shuffle…Walter Payton and those guys.
DM: What is your most memorable moment as an athlete?
TS: Probably us winning the National Championship, at Michigan, in ’97. Yea, we went undefeated through that entire season; it would have been tough if we lost.

DM: Should athletes be more involved in their church and community, and if so, do you think that would quell some of the negative stereotypes that surround athletes?
TS: I’d say yes, I am really not involved in the church like that, but of course I believe in God. It might help…
DM: But, your involvement with the kids, to me that is your community…
TS: Yea, I think you have to serve the purpose that God brought you down here for- help the kids, help the community…I guess that is being involved in a way with the church. You have to be able to help kids as an athlete, you have to show them the way, because they look up to you, they listen to you- sometimes more than they listen to their parents. You have to try to be there for them and show them the way; it’s not all about bling bling…You need to show them the way life is supposed to be lived, the right way…
DM: I love it…thanks so much!

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